Anyone else deal with chronic yeast (candida) issues??

[Ihurt]

Hey everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone on has ever dealt with chronic yeast issues? I am pretty sure I am dealing with chronic candida. I mean I am pretty sure my immune system is likely playing a huge role in it, that and being on low dose antibiotics for a long time to control chronic UTI's.. My main symptoms that I believe are from candida are: Chronic itchy vulva/vagina area, and also irritation and itch in the anal region as well. I use creams all the time( clomitrazole anti-yeast). They do help, but I have to constantly use it daily. Id I stop, the itch gets bad! I try and follow a very healthy diet due to my gut/intestinal issues. I eat mostly all organic and limit my sweets. I do eat 1 apple a day and 1/2 a banana as well. I have been reading up on the candida diets and I would have to stop eating ALL fruits and most All carbs. I guess it would be similar to the paleo diet minus the fruit. I am thinking about doing this, but am not sure how I would fare. I am small to begin with. I am not under weight, but Not over weight either. I mean when I had my colonoscopy done earlier in the year I fasted for like 3 days and I lost like 7 pounds. I don't really have any weight to spare I guess is what I am saying. I am trying to get off the low dose antibiotic that I take( augmetin) but it is difficult because I don't want to get another urinary infection. I was doing ok until I had to up the augmetin a couple months ago to treat another infection. Well after that the yeast just took off. I need to get things under control again. I do take LOTS of probiotics as well. Not sure if it is helping or not. I also notice I have WAY more itching in the genital area a week before my period for some reason. I also think hormone fluctuation can aggravate yeast. Just wondering if anyone else on here deals with these issues and what have you done to combat it?? I am tired of the itch!!!

 

[tiredandsick]

I have dealt with vaginal itching for countless years, in my experience the creams just made the problem worse or only provided temporary relief. I finally stopped all creams and in fact was careful with the soap I used too. I also got on a probiotic that I believe really helped to start to balance things out in the vaginal area, it is geared toward vaginal and urinary health. I also noticed symptoms would vary depending on my cycle and also what I would eat and was also tied to some blood sugar problems I was having. Basically when one thing in your body is diseased or out of balance it tends to throw a lot out of balance too. The more I try to balance my hormones or my blood sugar or my gut flora the less itching I have. As of right now, I am nearly itch free. Carbs were definitely a trigger for mine too. I learned to balance my carbs with protein to help slow the digestion of the carbs and to cut out a lot of added sugar. As long as you're on antibiotics you will probably have to fight it, I'm sure your body is just struggling to rebalance. I was convinced I had Candida over-growth too, and to some extent I did, but a wise doctor (which is hard to find these days) told me that yeast is usually the smoke not the fire...you have to find and put out the fire if you want the smoke to clear. The problem is putting out all the little fires that are created from a diseased body. I'm sure Paleo would help, but don't kill yourself trying because stress feeds yeast too. Start with small changes and go from there. Good luck, that itch is miserable!

 

[Ihurt]

Thanks so much for the reply! I appreciate it. I take lots of probiotics as well. Is the one you take for vaginal health and urinary health called Fem-dophilus? I take that one twice a day along with a few others. I take 100 billion counts by renewlife, 1 culturelle a day, 2 floragen acidophilus caps and 1 floragen3 cap. So I am taking lots of probiotics. I take that many due to being on low dose antibiotics all the time. I agree, I am just like you, I feel when I eat certain carbs I feel the itch worse! I also eat what carbs I do eat with protein usually. I do not eat many sweets either, they are VERY limited. What you say makes sense though and I agree, the yeast is just a product of the bigger picture. I honestly think the antibiotic is a Huge culprit, but I am stuck in a catch 22 with that one. It is like I am damned if I do and damned if I don't. Before being on the low dose antibiotic, well I was getting so many UTI's that I was on high dose anti-B's like every month! That is the only reason I opted to take the low dose long term and it has lessened my UTI's. I still get them, but not like before. The urologist I saw had no clue why I keep getting them. He said because I have Interstitial Cystiitis, which is an inflammation of the bladder, it makes me prone to getting infections. I honestly think the whole interstitial cystitis is a infection because my bladder pain goes away mostly when I am taking antibiotics. So very frustrating.

Thanks again for the reply and sharing your story. I am so glad you got rid of the itch. It is miserable, that is for sure....

I have dealt with vaginal itching for countless years, in my experience the creams just made the problem worse or only provided temporary relief. I finally stopped all creams and in fact was careful with the soap I used too. I also got on a probiotic that I believe really helped to start to balance things out in the vaginal area, it is geared toward vaginal and urinary health. I also noticed symptoms would vary depending on my cycle and also what I would eat and was also tied to some blood sugar problems I was having. Basically when one thing in your body is diseased or out of balance it tends to throw a lot out of balance too. The more I try to balance my hormones or my blood sugar or my gut flora the less itching I have. As of right now, I am nearly itch free. Carbs were definitely a trigger for mine too. I learned to balance my carbs with protein to help slow the digestion of the carbs and to cut out a lot of added sugar. As long as you're on antibiotics you will probably have to fight it, I'm sure your body is just struggling to rebalance. I was convinced I had Candida over-growth too, and to some extent I did, but a wise doctor (which is hard to find these days) told me that yeast is usually the smoke not the fire...you have to find and put out the fire if you want the smoke to clear. The problem is putting out all the little fires that are created from a diseased body. I'm sure Paleo would help, but don't kill yourself trying because stress feeds yeast too. Start with small changes and go from there. Good luck, that itch is miserable!

 

[tiredandsick]

Hang in there, sounds like you're doing all that you can do for your situation. I did try the femdophilus, but it wasn't 't strong enough. I've responded well to Renew Life Ultimate Flora Vaginal Support. If I ever stop taking it I start to regress. The only other thing I can think of is having your estrogen levels checked. When explaining my situation to my new obgyn, he explained that too many antibiotics or creams can kind-of exhaust your vagina and it 's ability to balance itself...strips it of it's natural estrogen levels. He said I sound like women who are menopausal...there are low dose estrogen creams inserted vaginally that help to re strengthen your hormone levels in your vagina that may have been "exhausted"by infection. Anyway,just an idea....I opted not to try the cream cause I get so sick of trying things. I guess if you get desperate you could explore that. But, sounds like you have to deal with the lesser of two evils. Yuck!

 

[Ihurt]

Thanks for the advice and info about the estrogen cream. I will bring it up to my gyne when I see her again. I agree, I think sometimes creams can cause irritation when using them so much. I just don't know what to do. Thanks again for the advice and support. I am glad you are better in that regard and hope it stays away for you! It sure is rough being a woman!

Hang in there, sounds like you're doing all that you can do for your situation. I did try the femdophilus, but it wasn't 't strong enough. I've responded well to Renew Life Ultimate Flora Vaginal Support. If I ever stop taking it I start to regress. The only other thing I can think of is having your estrogen levels checked. When explaining my situation to my new obgyn, he explained that too many antibiotics or creams can kind-of exhaust your vagina and it 's ability to balance itself...strips it of it's natural estrogen levels. He said I sound like women who are menopausal...there are low dose estrogen creams inserted vaginally that help to re strengthen your hormone levels in your vagina that may have been "exhausted"by infection. Anyway,just an idea....I opted not to try the cream cause I get so sick of trying things. I guess if you get desperate you could explore that. But, sounds like you have to deal with the lesser of two evils. Yuck!